Traction device for athletic shoes or the like



R. NICHOLS May 28, 1935.

TRACTION DEVICE FOR ATHLETIC SHOES OR THE LIKE Filed July 31, 1955 Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACTION DEVICE FOR ATHLETIC SHOES OR THE LIKE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in traction devices for athletic shoes or the like, being particularly designed for use in connection with baseball shoes. The invention seeks, among other objects, to provide a toe plate which, as compared with ordinary spikes, will afford better traction, will not slip as easily, and will not gather and hold dirt.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heel plate which will tend to obviate stumbling and wherein the toe and heel plates will cooperate to provide a firm foundation so that a shoe equipped with the plates will feel entirely comfortable and will cause no undue strain on the foot.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to so form the heel and toe plates that they may be readily struck from suitable sheet metal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view showing a conventional athletic shoe equipped with my improved heel and toe plates.

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that I employ a substantially T-shaped toe plate 19 having a shank H extending obliquely from the laterally overhanging head of the plate. At the junction of the shank with the head, the lateral terminals of said head are provided with concave inner edges l2. For a portion of their length, the outer edges of said terminals are, however, convex, as indicated at 3, and these convex edges merge gradually into a concave edge !4 which extends across the plane of the shank l I. At their outer end portions, the edges of the terminals are straight and parallel to define substantially rectangular base members I 5 and extending at right angles to said members are flat ground-gripping blades l6 beveled at their ends to provide relatively sharp edges H adapted to bite into the ground.

As will be observed, the concave edges ll of the lateral terminals of the head of the plate, in conjunction with the convex edges l3 thereof, im

part a curvature to said terminals such that the blades l6 stand at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to each other in divergent relation, the base members l5 being each connected with the shank l I by a reduced neck. In thus forming the plate, tendency to collect and hold dirt is reduced while, however, the base members I5 remain somewhat wide to receive thrust on the blades I6.

As will be observed, the shank H is relatively 10 narrow and at its free end is widened to provide a base member l8 like the base members I5. Depending from the base member I8 is a gripping blade l9 like the blades Hi, the blade I9 being beveled to provide an edge 20.

In Fig. l, I have shown the sole of a conventional athletic shoe at 2! and the heel of the shoe at 22. As will be noted, the toe plate is located medially of the forward portion of the shoe sole 2| so as to be positioned centrally of 20 the ball of the foot, and extending through the base members l5 oi the plate, and through the shoe sole, are rivets or other approved fastening devices 23 rigidly connecting the plate with the shoe. The shank II extends forwardly at a slight 25 angle tothe longitudinal center line of the shoe sole so that the blade l9 will afford an initial purchase while, when the blades l6 are brought into engagement with the ground, these blades will not only afford purchase for forward thrust 30 but, due to their angular relation, will securely hold against lateral thrust.

The heel plate is a substantial replica of the toe plate and is provided with a. head 24 and a shank 25 which, in the instance of the heel plate, 35 extends at a right angle to the head. The lateral terminals of the head are formed with base members 26 from which depend angularly disposed gripping blades 21 beveled to provide relatively sharp edges 23. The shank 25 is formed with a 4 similar base member 29 from which depends a gripping blade 30 beveled to provide a similar sharp edge, and extending through the base members 26 and 29 into the heel 22 of the shoe are rivets or other suitable fastening devices 3| rig- 5 idly connecting the heel plate with the shoe. The shank 25 of the heel plate is, as shown, preferably centered on the longitudinal center line of the heel and extends rearwardly so that the blade 30, in conjunction with the blades 2'! will pro- 50 vide eificient traction at the heel of the shoe. As will be perceived, both the heel and toe plates may be readily struck from suitable resilient sheet metal and may be easily applied.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A traction device for shoes comprising a T- shaped plate of sheet metal having a shank and a cross head at one end thereof projecting from opposite sides of the shank, the other end portion of the shank being of increased width and bent to form a depending transversely extending blade sharpened along its free lower edge and an attaching base having a fastener receiving opening formed therein, the portions of the 10 cross head projecting from opposite sides of the shank being disposed at an angle to diverge outwardly therefrom and being then increased in width and curved in an opposite direction and each bent to form a depending transversely extending blade sharpened along its lower edge and an attaching base formed with a fastener receiving opening, each blade corresponding in width to its attaching base and the blades of the cross head converging toward the blade of the shank.

RALPH NICHOLS. [L. s.] 

